VINTER 
BUTTEBFLIE 


at  tot  mi  idi  lot  IQI  tar  IGR  IDI  i 


WINTER  BUTTERFLIES 
IN  BOLINAS 


Monarch  Butterflies  and  Daffodils  in  January 


WINTER 
BUTTERFLIES 

IN  BOLINAS 


BY 

MARY  D.  BARBER 

i 

PUBLISHED    BY 

PAUL   ELDER    W  COMPANY 

SAN    FRANCISCO 


MART  D.  BARBER 


E  Monarch  Butterfly 
* Anosia  Plexippus  is  a  fam- 
iliar object  in  many  parts  of 

[3i 


WINTER      BUTTERFLIES      IN      BOLINAS 

the  United  States,  but  the  fact 
that  it  migrates,  covering  in 
its  flights  hundreds  and  even 
thousands  of  miles,  is  not 
generally  known.  This  but- 
terfly appears  in  immense 
swarms  every  year  early  in 
September  at  Bolinas,  a  shel- 
tered haven  on  the  coast  of 
California,  about  ten  miles 
north  of  the  Golden  Gate. 
A  southerly  beach  walled 
by  high  bluffs,  a  quaint  little 
village  which  consists  of  trim 
cottages  set  in  pretty,  old- 

[4] 


WINTER      BUTTERFLIES      IN      BOLINAS 

fashioned  gardens;  wide  stret- 
ches of  sunny  mesa,  broken 
here  and  there  by  arroyos 
and  groves  of  cypress  trees, 
make  up  a  picturesque  land- 
scape; while  to  the  south  and 
westward  rolls  the  vast  Pacif- 
ic, the  ceaseless  surging  of  its 
surf  on  the  smooth  sand  a 
never-ending  delight  to  the 
ear.  This  is  the  winter  home 
of  the  Monarch  butterfly 
which  comes  not  only  from 
the  Sierra  Nevada  mountains 
but  also  from  the  western 

[51 


WINTER      BUTTERFLIES      IN      BOLINAS 

ranges  of  the  Rockies. 
On  the  meadows  of  these 
mountains  a  pale  green  cater- 
pillar,ornamented  with  glossy 
black  bands,  feeds  on  the 
leaves  of  the  milkweed  plant. 
This  caterpillar  forms  a  chrys- 
alis about  an  inch  long,  green 
spotted  with  gold.  The  Mon- 
arch butterfly  emerges  from 
this  chrysalis,  unfurls  its 
wings,  draws  its  sustenance 
from  the  milkweed  blossoms, 
lays  its  eggs  and  lives  happily 
in  the  high  altitudes  till  the 

[6] 


WINTER   BUTTERFLIES   IN   BOLINAS 

chill  of  approaching  autumn 
in  the  air  warns  it  that  the 
time  for  migrating  has  come. 
Thousands  of  these  frail  but- 
terflies start  on  their  long 
journey  toward  the  Pacific, 
in  search  of  a  mild  climate, 
free  from  frost  and  snow, 
in  which  they  can  live  all 
winter. 

Fly  brown  butterflies  out  to  sea, 
Frail  pale  wings  for  the  winds  to  try; 
Small  brown  wings  that  we  scarce  can 
see 
Fly. 

[7] 


WINTER      BUTTERFLIES      IN      BOLINAS 


Here  and  there  may  a  chance  caught  eye 
Note,  in  a  score  of  you,  twain  or  three 
Brighter  or  darker  of  tinge  or  dye; 
Some  fly  light  as  a  laugh  of  glee, 
Some  fly  soft  as  a  long,  low  sigh ; 

the  haven  where  each  would  be — 
Fly. 


In  Nevada  County  great 
flocks  of  them  have  been  seen, 
following  the  course  of  a 
stream  downwards  from  the 
mountains  towards  the  sea. 
Before  they  reach  the  end  of 

[8] 


WINTER      BUTTERFLIES      IN      BOLINAS 

their  journey  they  scatter, for 
although  they  appear  in  Bo- 
linas  suddenly  and  in  large 
numbers,  no  flock  has  ever 
been  seen  approaching  en 
masse. 

The  Monarch  is  of  a  red- 
dish chestnut-brown,  veined 
with  black  and  bordered  with 
a  band  of  black  which  is  or- 
namented by  two  rows  of 
small  white  spots.  The  under 
side  of  the  wings  is  paler,  an 
ashy  buff  color  similarly 
veined  and  bordered.  The 


WINTER       BUTTERFLIES       IN       BOLINAS 

butterfly  is  large,  measuring 
between  four  and  five  inches 
from  tip  to  tip  of  outstretched 
wings. 

When  these  butterflies  ar- 
rive, the  air  seems  full  of 
them,hovering,flitting,whirl- 
ing  like  brown  autumn  leaves 
caught  in  a  gust  of  wind. 
Having  reached  their  winter 
home  they  swarm  on  a  cypress 
tree  which  affords  the  best 
shelter  during  wind  and 
storm.  Each  year  they  come, 
not  only  to  the  same  grove, 

[10] 


WINTER       BUTTERFLIES      IN      BOLINAS 

but  to  the  very  same  tree, 
and  always  to  the  southerly 
and  easterly  side  of  it.  This 
tree  is  within  sight  and  sound 
of  the  surf  which  perhaps 
reminds  the  butterflies  of  the 
roar  of  rushing  streams  and 
waterfalls  in  the  mountains 
whence  they  came.  Is  it  in- 
stinct,or  scent, or  the  climatic 
advantage  of  some  especial 
tree  which  guides  them  in 
their  choice?  It  is  certainly  a 
mystery  that  a  newly  arrived 
flock  should  choose  the  iden- 


WINTER      BUTTERFLIES      IN      BOLINAS 

tical  tree  which  was  the  home 
of  their  predecessors  the  win- 
ter before;  for  they  migrate 
but  to  end  their  days,  and  can 
not  return  to  show  the  way 
to  their  progeny  which  will 
hatch  next  spring  into  stupid 
caterpillars  having  no  desire 
but  to  eat  till  their  time  for 
sleep  arrives.  The  instinct  or 
intelligence  of  the  awakened 
butterfly  is  inexplicable. 

On  sunny  days  the  Mon- 
archs  feast  on  the  flowers  that 
bloom  all  winter  in  the  vil- 

[12] 


WINTER       BUTTERFLIES       IN       BOLINAS 

lage  gardens,  calla  lilies,  mar- 
guerites and  heliotrope  being 
their  favorites.  One  day  a  bee 
and  a  butterfly  were  vying 
with  each  other  for  the  pos- 
session of  a  marguerite.  The 
butterfly  alighted  on  it  first, 
but  the  bee  buzzed  his  way 
in  under  the  wings  of  his  ri- 
val who,  realizing  that  his 
companion  was  dangerous, 
flew  off,  leaving  the  bee  sole 
possessor  of  the  coveted  flower. 
At  evening  the  Monarchs 
return  to  the  grove  where 


WINTER       BUTTERFLIES       IN       BOLINAS 

they  may  be  seen  hanging  on 
the  cypress  branches.  A  tree 
appears  brown,  as  if  covered 
with  dead  leaves,  as  the  but- 
terflies, in  countless  thousands 
hang  close  together  with  fold- 
ed wings  to  conserve  the 
warmth  of  their  frail  bodies. 
In  stormy  weather  they  re- 
main thus  dormant  for  days 
and  even  weeks,  benumbed 
by  the  cold,  yet  clinging  fast 
to  the  branches.  Many,  how- 
ever, are  wrenched  from  their 
places  of  refuge  and  lie  scat- 


WINTER       BUTTERFLIES       IN      BOLINAS 

tered  on  the  ground  like  a 
carpet  of  fallen  leaves. 

One  evening  a  number  of 
these  which  had  hardly  a 
spark  of  life  remaining  in 
their  water-soaked  bodies  as 
they  lay  on  the  grass,  were 
picked  up  and  brought  into 
the  house  where  a  fire  of  drift- 
wood blazed  bright  on  the 
hearth.  The  butterflies  soon 
revived  in  the  warm  atmos- 
phere, hung  themselves  to  the 
curtains  in  lieu  of  trees  and 
went  to  sleep  for  the  night. 

[15] 


WINTER       BUTTERFLIES       IN       BOLINAS 

Next  morning  dawned  bright 
and  clear.  The  captive  Mon- 
archs  awakened  early  and 
flew  away,  happy,  when  the 
window  was  opened  to  release 
them. 

The  many  birds  that 
choose  Bolinas  as  their  win- 
ter home  would  have  a  feast 
if  these  butterflies  were  edible, 
but  Monarchs  are  protected 
by  an  acrid  secretion  which 
is  distasteful  to  birds,  and  en- 
joy a  long  life  on  this  account, 
living  not  only  all  winter, 

[16] 


WINTER       BUTTERFLIES      IN      BOLINAS 

but  long  enough  to  taste  the 
sweetness  of  the  spring  wild- 
flowers. 

The  Monarchs  are  great 
migrants.  They  have  crossed 
the  Pacific  Ocean,  probably 
on  ships,  and  have  reached 
the  Philippine  Islands  and 
Australia. 

When  on  a  yacht  bound  for 
the  Farallone  Islands  mem- 
bers of  the  party  saw  one  of 
these  butterflies  soaring  over 
the  ocean  about  ten  miles 
from  shore.  It  did  not  rest 


WINTER      BUTTERFLIES      IN      BOLINAS 

on  the  boat,  but  with  wings 
spread  before  the  east  wind  it 
sped  a  way,  folio  wing  the  path 
of  the  setting  sun  like  a  soul 
in  quest  of  the  ideal.  That 
evening  a  storm  came  on  sud- 
denly. What  was  the  fate  of 
that  lone  butterfly? 

He  died,  unlike  his  mates  I  ween, 
Perhaps  not  sooner  or  worse 
crossed; 

And  he  had  felt,  thought,  known 

and  seen 
A  larger  life  and  hope,  though 

lost 

Far  out  at  sea. 

[18] 


This  is  the  tale  of  the  Winter  Butterflies 
in  Bolinas,  as  to! a1  by  Mary  D.  Barber, 
and  put  into  permanent  form  by  Paul 
Elder  and  Company  under  the  direction 
of  Ricardo  J.  Oroxco  during  the  month 
of  January  of  the  year  Nineteen  Eighteen, 
with  decorations  by  Rudolph  F.  Scbaeffer 


J 

CO 


liayiord  Bros.,  inc. 

Makers 
Stockton,  Calif. 

PAT,  JAN.  21.  1908 


9186981 


THE  UNIVERSITY  OF  CALIFORNIA  LIBF 


